The feel of a snowboard, as perceived by a rider, may be determined at least in part by how the snowboard flexes. Various riding styles and terrain conditions may also recommend a particular type of board flex. With this in mind, a snowboard may be designed with a particular flex pattern.
Snowboard bindings secure a rider to the snowboard, and typically are in the form of a rigid baseplate that receives the rider's boot and a rigid hold-down disk that is received in, and attaches, the baseplate to the snowboard (known as a “tray” style binding). The rigid hold-down disc is provided with openings or slots that are compatible with a pattern of threaded inserts (e.g., “4×4” or 3D (TRADEMARK)) arranged on the snowboard. Fasteners are passed through the hold down disc and screwed into the inserts, attaching the baseplate to the board. The rigidity of both the baseplate and the hold-down disc may create a dead spot that resists flexing of the snowboard underneath and/or adjacent the binding.
In contrast to tray style bindings, ‘baseless’ bindings do not include a floor or base so that a rider's boot rests directly on the snowboard. Baseless bindings are believed to allow greater board flex as compared to tray style bindings. An example of a baseless binding is described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0030000 A1, assigned to The Burton Corporation, which is the assignee of the present application. In that particular baseless binding, fastener mounts are located external of the binding sidewalls (that is, not in the foot-receiving area of the binding), and the binding is configured for mounting to a channel style binding interface in the snowboard. The baseless binding described in the published patent application is not compatible with a snowboard configured with a 4×4 or 3D (TRADEMARK) insert pattern.